Libertarianism is a lesser-known political philosophy. Since the beginning of civilization, there have been libertarian-minded people. The beginnings of this political philosophy are routed in ancient China, Greece, and Israel. Libertarianism ideals would later be recognized by philosophers and political figures such as John Locke and Thomas Jefferson. The libertarian party in the United States formally was introduced in Colorado Springs, Colorado on December 11, 1971. Activist David Nolan is most often credited with creating the libertarian party.

Many Americans hold libertarian beliefs without realizing it. Values such as small government, freedom of choice/speech, and privacy resonate with many Americans because these are values upon which our country was founded. To libertarians, the nation’s mindset has become too metropolitan and obedient to the government. Most libertarians believe in small government and less restrictions with respect to private enterprise.

Some may be considered left-wing or right-wing libertarians. Left-wing libertarians might believe in more strict gun restrictions, for example, and right-wing libertarians may not. Regardless of whether a libertarian is left or right-wing, there are core issues upon which most libertarians agree, such as abuse of police power and opposition to surveillance and the gathering of private data.

Although libertarians can be found everywhere, there are certain states with high concentrations. A high concentration of libertarians resides in the Northwest; however, there also are higher concentrations living in Arizona, Indiana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas.   In the Northeast, New Hampshire has a high concentration of libertarians.  See the map below:

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What it means to be a libertarian is a commonly asked question with no single or definable answer, but most associate it with individual liberty. “It means someone who believes in individual rights and responsibilities,” says Susan, “You can do as you please as long as it doesn’t inhibit the freedom of individuals and the general population.” There are many people, however, that don’t understand what it means to be libertarian as well as Susan. While Janet seemed to be generally familiar with libertarianism, Gabe commented that he only has heard of libertarianism from news and other media and could not elaborate much on any of its characteristics. 

Libertarianism is a complicated and often misunderstood political philosophy. It seems to resonate with ideals on both sides of the political spectrum, making it that much more obscure.